Friction shock-absorbing means



Nov. 8, 1927.

G. A. JOHNSON FRICIIONA SHOCK ABSORBING MEANS 'Filed May 29, 1925 Patented Nov. 8, 192'?.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON, OF-onoiiG-o, inninoisl essienon'fro W. ii. ini-iran,l menor CHICAGO, trainers, .a ooneonarron orv DELAWARE. I

ERECTION SHOCK-ABSDRBDNG WMEANS.

Application inea May as, islas'. semaine. .$3,596.

This invention relates toimprovernents in shock absorbing means. n y One object of the invention is to provide a `friction shock absorbing means especially 5 adaptedV for railway draft rigginga-,adapted to .cushion extreinelyheavy shocks and' having great column strength. Another objectfof the invention is to proyvideia'friction shock absorbing `means whereli .in the main followers Vabut Yupon full .coin pression of themeclianism vto provide an Voverload column Aof, great strength independentof the :shock absorbing mechanism and Y therebyrelieif'eitlie friction shock absorbing i mechanisnrproper and especially the friction shell from undue strain.

'Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter v2o following. y

ln. the drawing forming a part of this specification, vFigure 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view .of a portionof a railway draft riggingshowing ymy improvements in .conrnection therewith, Vthe section through the shell and friction elements therewithin cor :respondingato two section planesat approxi- ,mately'lOowapart. `Figure 2-is a-transverse, vertical, ysectional view ,corresponding sub-V stantially to the Vline 2-2 of Figure 1. And 'Figure 8 isa horizontal sectional view of a portion of a railway draft rigging, illustiating ra different embodiment of the invention, the section being taken on two different planes. Referring rst to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures l1 and .2, 10-,10 indicate Channelshapedcenter or .draftsills'of a railway car underframe, to the inner sides of which are secured vfront stop lugs `111--11 and reai 'stop lugs 12-12- The inner end portion of the .drawbar is indicated at 1.3 and has Aoperatively asso-- ciated therewith .a yoke 14 of Well-known form, the-'yoke being provided with a. pocket adaptedto receive the innerend ofthe drawbar :and the `drawbar being attached to the yoke .by a Atransverse key '1:5 operating in slots f16iin the sidewalls -of the yoke and -'sl'ots 17; in -zthe draft sills. .The entire shock i absorbing fineans, :as :well :as ltheA rear main follower 18 :are Loperatively jdisposedfwithin I .the fyoke, and'th'e yoke in turn supported vin, Imperative position Eloy a l.detachable:saddle fpilate l19n ixeil i to'vthe draft fsills.

zlheiimpronejd .-:sliocksabsorbingmeans, as

shown, 'comprises broadly a combined follower and overload columnA; anda friction shock absorbing mechanism proper, includ- .ing :a combined friction shell and spring' cage B, a pressure-transinitting wedge C, three friction-shoes D, D and D, three 'antifrictionrollers E, E `and :Efa main spring :resistance F, a spring follower disk .Galand a retaineibolt H. 1 l f The combined .front lfollower and lover- :lcad column A comprises-a substantially -rec. -tangalar .casing having .a transverse front end wall 42O co-operatiiig'-with .the-:stop .lugs 11 in Athe inannerof the usual ffront-followen'.

and .relatively .lieayy spaced side walls lorv Y arms .2l-21 .extending rearwardly. The side walls 21 are cutaway, on' the-.inner sides as indicated at 22ito providefcurved interior surfaces. .The Vcolumn is ope'natthetop and bottoniV as indicated at 23 vto@accommodate the usual enlargements VatA .the top and bottoinrof th'efifiction shell. 4Illieiinner ends ofthe side walls Qlyare normally spaced frein the rear -follower 41%as most clearly shown in jligurel, the'distance between the follower iland the innerk endsof the iarins 'being equal .to ithe .full '-.compression stroke ofthe-mechanism. i

The vcombined friction shell Vand ,spring cage vB which is in the forinof agenerally cylindrical vcasting having the friction :shell proper 24- thereof vformed' at `the open or .front end istelescoped within the column element ofthe front follower. .of the friction shell proper, the casting .pro- -vides fa cylindrical spring cage-or casing25,

Rearwardly 'i and at :its rear end rthecasingliaszan integral :transverse wall 26 bearing on the .follower I18. provided with a true cylindrical"friction surface 27.

The-wedge C ,through which the pressure is transmitted `,is in the 'form ofa vcylindrical block liavingfa transverse front bearing vface ,28 adapted to co-operate withLthe-inner surface of ,the transverse end `wallirQO of fthe .front follower. fAit the :inner en"cl,tlie wedge Gis providedwiththree inwardlyiandfrear Vwardly convergingflat faces T29 :symmetri- `cally'LarrangedV around:thecenterior the iaxis -of 'the wedge. VAt the :innerend'fiofea'ch wedge face 29, a shoulder oismroxzide'd adapted'to. forma seat forthe'fcorresponding :anti-frictionfroller E. 'i LTheifni'ct-ion islioes'JD :are

an@financia-"5- On ythe interior, the shell'Ql is lllll v a face 129 correspondingly inclined to and adapted to cooperate with oneV ofthe faces 29 of the wedge. The enlargement of each shoe is provided with a shoulder 31 forming a vseat for the corresponding anti-friction roller E. AsV most clearly shown in Figure 1,

'the three anti-friction rollers are interposed respectively between the three wedge faces of the main wedge C and the three friction shoes.

' The main spring resistance F comprises a relatively heavy outer coil 82 and a light inner coil 33, the outer coil being interposed between the inner ends of the friction shoes and the transverse end wall 26 of the spring cage. The small coil 33 has its rear end bearing on a. hollow boss 34C projecting inwardly from the end wall 26 of the spring cage.

Thefrontend of the spring 33 bears di-V rectly on the spring follower disk Gr'which is interposed between the spring and the inner ends of the enlargements of the shoes.

' The retainer bolt H has its opposite ends anchored to the hollow boss 34 and the main wedge respectively and maintains the mechanism of uniform overall length and holds the spring resistance under initial compression'.l

YThe operation of my improved means is as follows, assuming a compression stroke: The combined front follower and overload column and rear follower 18 will be moved relativelytoward each other, thereby carrying the main wedge and friction shoesv inwardly of the friction shell, at the same time spreading the shoes apart and compressing the main spring resista-nce. This action will continue either until the actuating force is reduced ror until the inner ends of the sidewalls of the overload column engage the rear follower 18, whereupon the pressure Ywill be transmitted directly from one to the other through the columny means relieving the friction shell'and main spring resistance element from undue strain.

Although, as illustrated in the drawings, the outer end of the friction shell will beengaged Ysubstantially simultaneously with the engagement of the column arms with the rear follower, it will be evident that the front end "of the friction shell` may be so spaced from the innersurface of the transverse end wall20of the combined follower ando-verload column that there will be no actual contact between the wall 2O and the frictionshell upon full compression of 'the mechanism.

v :Referring next to theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, the usual draftl sills areY indicated by" 1101-110,l to which Vsite sides of the friction shell. one of the bolts Hf at the opposite side is Aare secured front stop lugs 111-111 and shown in Figure 3, comprises front and rear follower acting members A-A; and a shock absorbing mechanism proper includ ing a friction shell B, having. the usual spring resistance disposed therein co-operating with friction wedge shoes D-D, a main wedge C, co-operatingrwith the shoes in the usual manner. y

The friction shock absorbing mechanism proper, shown in Figure 3, corresponds in all respects with that hereinbefore described, and shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The front and rear followers A are of like construct-ion, each comprising a relatively heavy plate-like section 120 of rectangular' outline, havingV a pair of inwardly extending arms 121 at the opposite 'sides thereof. The main body portions of the folshown in Figure 8, the inner faces of the arms 121 are cut away thereby providing topand bottom overhanging portions 122 projecting laterally inward therefrom. The overhanging portions 122 at the opposite sfdes of each follower A are' adapted to embrace Vthe .friction shell proper,-thereby pre` y `venting lateral and vertical displacement of the same. The faces ofthe cut away portion of the arms 121 are curved and preferably correspond to the exterior contour ofl the friction shell. The inner end of the fric-k tion shell B is adapted to abut the inner face of the main body section of the rear follower A and the wedge C is adapted to abut the inner face of the main body portion 120 of the front follower A.

-The Yentire mechanism is preferably main tained of overall uniform length by Va pair ofrretainer bolts H"-H, disposed at oppo- As shown,

arranged 'at the bottom of the mechanism. The front and rear ends' of the bolts are anchored respectively to themain body porscribed.

.. YMassafra cient depth to permit full compression of.

the mechanism.

vIt will be evident that the retainer bolts may be entirely omitted. i

rihe operation of t-he embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, is substantially the same as that hereinbefore de- However, it is pointed out that when the friction shock absorbing mechanism isrfully compressed, the inner ends of the arms 121 of the front and rear followers A will be brought into abutment and the load transmitted directly through the followers fi. to the stop lugs on the draft sills.

From the preceding description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be evident that I have provided an extremely simple and efficient overload column for transmitting the actuating force from one follower to the other, thereby relieving the friction shell from overload. It will also be evident that by providing the overload column, which is independent Iof the shock V yabsorbing mechanism proper and especially n independent of the, friction shell, a much lighter shell may b-eemployed than is now commonly used, it being the general practice at present to limit the relative movement of the followers by directA engagement with 1 the friction shell, the latter serving as an overload column, thus necessitating the use of a very heavy friction shell casting.

1While I have herein shown and'described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claimi 1. In a shock absorbing means, the combination with front and rear relatively movable foi'lower elements, saidelements having stop column means associated therewith for 'limiting the relative movement of said elements; of a complete friction shock absorbing mechanism including a friction'shell within said column means; friction shoes within the shell; a main wedge and a spring resistance co-operating ywith said shoes.

2. Ina draft rigging, including spaced draftA sills having stop rlugs thereon, the combination with front and rear relatively movable followers, one of said fol-lowers having a heavy stop column associated therewith, said stop column having substantially in said casing; friction shoes within thev shell; a lateral -pressure creating means co- 7oy i operating with said shoes; and a spring re-v I sisting relative movement of said shell and i slices.

il.v In a friction shock absorbing means, the combination with relatively movable front and rear followers; one of said followers yhaving longitudinally disposed arms having their free ends lnormally spaced apredetermined distance from Athe other follower and adapted toengage the latter upon full compression of the mechanism to transmit the actuating force directly from one follower to the other; of an independent friction shock absorbing mechanism including a. friction shell embraced by said arms, a friction wedge systeiiico-operating with the shell, and a main spring resistance within the shell cooperating witli said friction wedge system.

5. In a shock absorbing means for railway draft riggings, including draft sills having s top lugs thereon, the combination with a `friction shock absorbing mechanism proper,

including follower means, a longitudinally disposed friction member, friction` elements cooperating therewith, lateral pressurecreating means cooperating with said elements,.

and a main spring resistance, said shockA absorbing mechanismbeing spaced from the draft sills; of an independent, solid, overload columnr means embracing said friction shock absorbing mechanism, said column over'loavd meansr occupying substantially the entire available space between the draft sills and shock absorbing mechanism.

In witness that Ir claim the foregoing I4 'have hereunto subscribed my name this 27 th day of'May 1925.

GEORGE JOHNSON. 

